WASHINGTON–U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, returned to the U.S. on Sunday after leading a bipartisan and bicameral congressional delegation to the United Kingdom and Ireland. Members of the delegation include U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska), Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-Minn.) and U.S. Representatives David Joyce (R-Ohio), Dan Crenshaw (R-Texas), Jake Auchincloss (D-Mass.), and Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.).

“The United Kingdom and Ireland are two of our closest partners, and I appreciated this opportunity to organize a large bipartisan and bicameral visit with my colleagues. In London, we met with Chancellor Hunt, senior Foreign Ministry and Defence officials, and advisors to Prime Minister Sunak to discuss ways we can strengthen transatlantic coordination as we work together to counter competition from China and support Ukraine,” said Murphy. “In Dublin, we discussed ways to further deepen our strong economic and trade relationship and the need for better regulatory coordination between the U.S. and Europe. In both capitals, we emphasized our continued support for a secure and peaceful Northern Ireland and the importance of protecting the hard-fought gains of the Good Friday Agreement. As the representative of a large Irish-American community back in Connecticut – and a proud Irish American myself – I was glad to be joined by so many members on this trip and am grateful to our hosts and embassy staff for their help throughout the visit.”

In London, the delegation met with Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt, Ministers of State Anne-Marie Trevelyan and Tariq Ahmad, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Lord Caine, Ministry of Defense Permanent Secretary David Williams, and the Prime Minister’s national security advisors. They discussed the U.S. and the U.K.’s special relationship, Northern Ireland, strategic implications of AUKUS, support for Ukraine, and transatlantic coordination on competition with China, among other topics.   

In Ireland, the members took part in discussions on securing peace in Northern Ireland and strengthening U.S. – Ireland ties and met with Irish Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin. They also took part in an inter-parliamentary meeting of Irish and American legislators.

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